How Humor Helped Sonya Embrace Life and Conquer Her Diagnosis

When 41-year-old mother of two, Sonya Z., was told she had Stage IV colorectal cancer just weeks shy of her 42nd birthday, she was stunned. Up until then, Sonya had been focusing on rebuilding her life post-divorce, thriving in her tech manager role at a charter school, and celebrating recent academic achievements. A routine checkup revealed enough red flags for her doctor to recommend a colonoscopy—something Sonya initially postponed. However, the procedure quickly led to the devastating words: “I think that’s cancer.”

Further testing confirmed metastatic colon cancer with tumors in her liver, ovary, and lymph nodes. Sonya’s treatment plan resembled a nine-month “pregnancy” in three trimesters: six rounds of chemotherapy, abdominal surgery, and another six rounds of chemo. Throughout it all, she endured challenging side effects such as intense neuropathy, scalp sensitivity, peeling skin, and hair loss—yet she found a beacon of hope in humor. Sonya nicknamed her port-a-cath “Portia Fortenport,” embraced her “spa days” at the oncology ward, and turned awkward moments into comedic relief whenever possible.

Surgery successfully removed Sonya’s sigmoid colon, affected liver segments, ovary, and lymph nodes. Sixteen months after she started, she bid a celebratory farewell to “Portia.” Now cancer-free for five years, Sonya reflects on what helped her most: laughter, love, and community support. She encourages newly diagnosed patients to let others help so they can focus on healing, highlighting that early detection, research, and fundraising are steadily improving colorectal cancer survival rates.

Above all, Sonya found her will to fight by thinking of her children. “I never wanted my kids to see that cancer could win,” she says, reminding others that it’s crucial to have a plan but equally important to find reasons to live and laugh each day.